A DEEP DIVE into Ganon's Theme Evolution (Director's Cut) | Zelda Music Theory

[@carmanwillis7537]

Just a note: I really appreciate having the "sheet music" on the screen. I'm such a visual person when it comes to analyzing music theory and this helps a lot!!!!

[@ZeldaMusicTheory]

First comment about this, thanks! Didn't take that long either lol. Maybe additional 10-15 min. I'm getting faster at editing lol.

[@MandyMooDoesCrochetToo]

The OoT Gannon theme is just amazing. Gets louder as you get closer, but it also feels like time is running out. Like its getting faster, i always felt like i had to rush up 😂 simultaneously had you ready to battle and your blood pumping sitting on the edge of your seat! It is absolutely genius! Also an additional 30+ minutes! Yes please! 😂

[@brandan7761]

Listen to Ravel's Bolero

[@RileyIsTired]

Hey Kevin I have a wild request... you should do an 11 hour non-cut reaction to the entire totk ost :3

[@ZeldaMusicTheory]

I would totally do that lol. 😆 It wouldn't perform very well on yt, but it would be fun for the 100 of us that watched it

[@annabramble1284]

I second this 😂

[@shai5651]

I've always thought that Priest of the Dark Order is one of the most iconic, best-developed themes in video game history. I'm glad you gave it the love it deserves.

[@Bertz87]

YESS!!!! Here we go for the directors cut!!!!!!

[@Xorcrupt]

There's another fun little pair of musical quotes in Twilight Princess! In the scene where Link and Midna confront Ganondorf in Hyrule Castle, where Ganondorf slowly rises from the throne. It quotes the Zelda 1 Ganon intro where it rises chromatically. It's rhythmically different, but the progression is there. Then, its immediately followed by a brass fanfare which quotes the Ganon's Tower organ intro from OOT. 😁

[@hannahpaul6391]

I noticed on the battle theme for Wind Waker it uses a similar progression, which I LOVE. It’s before you even know Ganondorf is involved in the world’s events!

[@CatalogK9]

52:40 YES PLEASE DO A DEEP DIVE ON THIS!!!

[@CatalogK9]

36:30 is also referencing the overworld theme from the top-down games

[@merykantm3420]

Yayyy ! YES, I'd LOVE to see a video on the evolution of the music during the different phases of TOTK's final battle (and maybe what happens afterwards ^^). Like a TOTK Endgame music video !! Even if its a 3h long video, I'd watch it !

[@Bloodclad]

I just discover your works from a random recommendation to Zelda's lullaby. It's very informative. Thank you

[@SummerByStyx]

The stacked fourth thing is obviously a popular thing with koji. I did a cover of seal of the seven maidens and I was struggling working out the harmonies so had to check the sheet music. But anyway the I tro of that is in c, with staccato strings coming in but using stacked fourths. Really effective. And ambiguous. Oh and a sus 2 in there as well. But all so cleverly disguised. Like bach and his Aug mentwd 4ths across like three octaves to hide them. Koji really is amazing. Great breakdown of his stuff. Really nice to hear your insights

[@CatalogK9]

6:00 that’s the Game Over lick!! At least from OoT and similar

[@MrBond007JBR]

My friend reminded me that the Sages theme in Twilight Princess sounds like a soft orchestral version of Ganon's theme

[@Joseph-r5m]

Been waiting for this, great work man, always look forward to it. Such a great job as always, keep it up!

[@consumeproduce]

oh hello skiving off work on Friday to watch an hour long video essay on Ganon's sonic identity [blocks a "meeting" on work calendar]

[@MtrlDstrbt]

I'm so here for this. Haven't watched yet, but I'm so excited for the aha moments.

[@dragonic_gvo97]

I like watching your videos on the Music in Video Games it’s informative and fun ❤❤❤

[@masonschwalm2010]

13:40 Now that you mention it, the notes used in that pulsing effect reminds me of the similar thing they did in BOTW for the indoor Hyrule Castle Theme, where in the background before they resolve the Zelda’s Lullaby reference it kind of sounds like the low health alert noise. The notes do change for every bar/variation as it progresses, but it still has the same effect nonetheless. I wouldn’t put it past Kondo to have had such an idea in mind when arranging the piece. It adds a subconscious sense of danger approaching, and even if it wasn’t specifically intended to reference the low health sound, it’s still really great at building tension/anxiety with its slowly increasing number of notes being added with each pass bringing a feeling of rising, controlled chaos. Masterful. Just masterful. If I’m right about this though, and it is in fact the case that it was intended, then perhaps the BOTW composers were aware of this as well (or had the same thought as I did while analyzing past Zelda works for inspiration in writing BOTW’s score) and borrowed the same idea for the buildup to their own grand finale, which also includes a prominent church organ throughout, as a nod to its predecessor? I love discovering these little musical details, and the mysteries/questions that they open up, which often leads to even more discoveries. Keep up the good work!👍🏻 I love nerding out about the music theory in Zelda, and even though much of the modern gaming soundtracks are quite robust (or even just use straight-up licensed pop music), it was Kondo’s work on Zelda, particularly OOT, which showed me that this was a LOT more than “just video game music”. On older consoles sound was a much lower priority due to data constraints, which meant that from the Atari age up until around the SNES-N64 era most video game “music” amounted to simple bleeps and bloops (think Space Invaders), or maybe an extremely short looping melody. Even before Ocarina, Koji Kobdo was able to take what limited resources were available to him at the time, and created the theme songs which would become- *ahem,* “legendary” if you will. The fact that he was able to make something as complex as the opening theme to the original Zelda on that hardware is nothing short of impressive, boarding on wizardry, lol Not just that, but the rest of the music for the original Legend of Zelda and A Link To The Past, as well as the first 4 Super Mario Bros. games was so much more complex and classically inspired that for their time I think they’re modern masterpieces when compared to what passed for music in video games back then, it was absolutely way ahead of its time. I do however think that it all became fully realized with Ocarina of Time/Majora’s Mask and was then expanded on and explored further for The Wind Waker and Twilight Princess, after which Kondo took on a supervising/consulting role, no longer had direct compositions featured from Skyward Sword onward. The leap in quality along with the emerging expansion of composition and arrangement capabilities seen, resulting from the jump from classic 8 and 16-bit consoles to the Nintendo 64 changed the video game music landscape forever, and what was possible. Anyone with rudimentary musical inclination could quickly sound out most themes, or at least the basic melodies, for the earlier stuff like Pac-Man or Metroid, but most ppl couldn’t just sit down and play something like The Song of Healing right away. I know this first-hand, because while I’m not a great pianist (guitar is my main instrument) I tried learning the song last week on a whim, and it took about 3 days working on it for about 1-2 hrs at a time each day, before I could play it more or less all the way through from memory (I can read music, but prefer to learn by ear, or sometimes if I’m struggling with a certain section I’ll use those videos where it shows the keyboard and the notes light up as the song plays). It could fit right in and easily pass for being and old Classical piece if one didn’t know any better. I have tremendous respect for Koji Kondo’s talents and contributions to the world of video game music.

[@HeadKillerXD]

you can hear market theme oot in clock town mm

[@ZeldaMusicTheory]

Wow totally didn't believe you until I listened for it. It definitely does and shares a connection. Brilliant.

[@SummerByStyx]

I remember meeting aghanim when I was a kid and Damn that theme is so ominous.

[@brandoncordova4096]

I don't know why, but that one moment at 10:34 when the third line gets added on the organ theme is my favorite part of that tune and his expression is gold. Kinda comes outta nowhere and sucker punches you and gives it an unnerving quality to it

[@CatalogK9]

21:05 (ish) reminds me of the countermelody in Majora’s Mask in each region prior to taking on its respective dungeon and fixing Majora’s curse

[@user-gc5sq7rb9s]

Hello, I just discovers your video recently and I love your work ! Keep going ! They are so great, I almost watch them all and I love especially the director cut video (there are so many stuffs you think about when you listen to the soundtracks and this is very enjoyable) Thank you for making these Have a nice day/night : )

[@CatalogK9]

@ZeldaMusicTheory I'm putting together a presentation on Koji Kondo and I just realized the Haunted House theme from Super Mario World is essentially the second part of Ganon(dorf)'s theme! I'm absolutely beside myself right now.

[@ZeldaMusicTheory]

Wow really? What's the presentation for? I have a lot of compilations of "similar" things Koji Kondo does, so let me know if you need any examples. Is the Super Mario World theme the haunted house or Fortress theme? (You can also send video links, I'll try to check them)

[@CatalogK9]

@@ZeldaMusicTheory the Haunted House theme, the sliding notes at the beginning of the theme are note for note

[@CatalogK9]

@@ZeldaMusicTheory it's an Intro to Music class, with more of an emphasis on analysis/form/musical eras. I've finished it for now, (turned it in minutes before it locked lol), but I was not expecting to find this!

[@raphaelbrignoglio1947]

Please make a video about your full reaction of the battle final in the sky, personnaly I'm crying all a time whey a listen this banger, it's feel like to me a compilations of all the mémoires I have since BOTW Please you should really do your react 🙏🏻

[@ZeldaMusicTheory]

That's actually a very good idea.

[@SheepextremeNeedsRaisins]

Been playing through wind waker hd recently, and your Ganon video made me aware of so many instances of it in that game! Loving the director’s cut!

[@CatalogK9]

22:30 I believe that’s called a digeridoo; it’s an aboriginal Australian instrument

[@C-Rod7x]

You really should play twilight princess. The music and story is amazing. My top 3 Zelda game with oot and botw.

[@MrBond007JBR]

I'm surprised Zant's Theme was not mentioned I'm 75% sure it has some Ganon theme music in it

[@MtrlDstrbt]

If you're looking for more quartal harmony goodness, Charles Ives is a good hang. Central Park in the Dark.

[@MtrlDstrbt]

I mean he must have inspired Koji Kondo, right?

[@ZeldaMusicTheory]

Probably- Koji Kondo was EXTREMELY well versed in all kinds of music. From latin and jazz to classical to African. He loved trying to listen and capture new sounds from outside his normal circle. SO it wouldn't surprise me at all. But also, fourths sound menacing independently of Ives, so if they both discovered that it just naturally sounds that way, Koji Kondo may not have gotten it from him.

[@ianjhonson5752]

6:09-6:59 So what you're telling me is breath of the wild is just chock full of Ganon's theme? Cause these are definitely those same styles of chords.

[@benjamintaleb7531]

Directors cut? Is it Christmas already

[@TrevorSmithy]

where do you get these transcriptions from? can I get a link? thanks (trying to compose some music of my own, taking inspiration from various zelda themes)

[@ZeldaMusicTheory]

Hey there! When I do have sheet music, I usually go to nintenmusic. It's been very accurate. 👍🏼

[@salystic]

I would love for u to react to the lightning temple

[@Gingerjake1]

Could you do a video of Zants theme because in my opinion it’s the darkest music in the entire series and would love if you reacted to it!

[@YankeeMav]

2:00 it's f'n Cruela deVil, Roger.

[@josepalacios1778]

Minute 47, which one is that song?

[@ZeldaMusicTheory]

Ambusher of Misha's Court 👍🏼 I gotchu

[@BokoblinBoy]

Wow! 😮

[@AFStudiosMedia]

In the priest of the dark order, there is also the chord used in the intro to Zeldas lullaby

[@El-ge1tw]

your daughter sounds just adorable 🥰

[@elizabethfout3817]

I'm actually playing through windwaker and Twilight Princess I've also played through Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom. I'm also trying to do Skyward Sword

[@ZeldaMusicTheory]

That's amazing

[@burner27]

Totk has been out a year is it really spoilers at this point

[@ZeldaMusicTheory]

I'm glad you said that because I'm about to do the final scene music probably, I may just make it a "light" spoiler warning instead of announcing it. Some still haven't beaten it but you're right.

[@alexgalipeau6443]

Why are we doing a video that rehashes so much from a video I just saw a few days ago? I don't feel like rewatching 40 minutes of content to see a few new tidbits. This is a weird way to share new content, it makes me wanna skip it

[@SlickTater]

Then why are you watching it?

[@alexgalipeau6443]

@@SlickTater to comment I didn't like how it's presented, got a problem with that?

[@carmanwillis7537]

He did recently do a poll and asked the subscribers what they preferred as far as uploads and the consensus was that most people wanted both the edited versions AND the longer "Director's Cuts" a bit later, so that's what's happening. I imagine that depending on feedback, it could change. I for one love the longer videos, and I necessarily mind that some of the content is repeated, because I'm itching for the extra stuff that wasn't in the edited version. But, to each their own.

[@alexgalipeau6443]

@@carmanwillis7537 I missed the poll, that's fair enough! I'll just wait for the director's cuts now, thanks for the actual answer :)